Sheet handling and sampling apparatus



Sept. 30, 1969 F. JAVID SHEET HANDLING AND SAMPLING APPARATUS Filed Nov.29, 1966 E Z OwUKOu 1 WEN 1 ()R. FARHANG JAVI D WJOKPZOU ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 3,469,836 SHEET HANDLING AND SAMPLING APPARATUSFarhang Javid, Willirnantic, Conn., assignor to Cameron Machine Company,a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 29, 1966, Ser. No. 597,692 Int. Cl.B65h 29/62 US. Cl. 271--64 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In a highspeed sheet handling apparatus having a conveying means extending alonga first path, a sampling device including second conveying meansextending along a second path disposed in downwardly inclined relationto the first path, and sheet sensing means positioned in said downwardlyinclined second path, the second conveying means having control meansfor reducing the speed of deflected sheets, and the sheet sensing meanshaving a signal means for operating the control means in respons to thepresence of a deflected sheet as its trailing edge leaves the firstpath.

This invention generally relates to sheet handling equipment andparticularly concerns an improvement of the sheet handling system whichis the subject of United States Patent No. 3,218,897 issued Nov. 23,1965, in the name of Dudley H. Geigenmiller et al., for a Sheet FeedingApparatus and assigned to the assignee of t present invention.

A principal object of the invention is to provide an improved high speedsheet handling machine incorporating a low cost sampling apparatusnormally associated with more expensive sheet handling equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved samplingapparatus of the above described type which includes a minimum number ofparts, is readily incorporated in both new and existing sheet handlingequipment and is particularly suited for economical manufacture andinstallation to provide reliable operation over a long service life.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth, and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical side elevational view of a high speed sheethandling machine embodying a sampling apparatus in accordance with theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view showing another embodimentof a sampling apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is illustrated, it will be understood that the sheethandling machine of this invention is particularly useful in handlingsheet material such as paper cut from a web by a sheeter, as describedin the above identified Patent No. 3,218,897, and thereafter conveyingthe cut sheets to a layboy or sheet stacking device. Any interferencebetween the trailing edge of the cut sheet and the leading edge of thefollowing web is eliminated by high speed tapes 10 which cooperate withhigh speed tapes 11 and 12 to pull the cut sheets away at a speed higherthan that of the following web and to produce a gap between successivesheets. Each sheet is retarded and its trailing edge is overlapped by aleading edge of a following sheet in an overlapping station 13, beforebeing fed onto low speed tapes 14 and conveyed to a layboy, not shown.The overlapping station 13 comprises a suction device positioned betweenthe high and low speed tapes 12 and 14 and is operated in synchronismwith the passage of each sheet as described in the aforementioned PatentNo. 3,218,897. For the purpose of this invention, the sheet handlingmachine will be treated as applied to the handling of only a single pathof sheets, each defined by a plurality of relatively narrow tapes,although it will be understood that the machine is useful in handling aplurality of sheets fed along independent parallel paths.

In accordance with the present invention, a sampling apparatus isprovided which includes an inclined tape section 16 and which isparticularly suited for low cost manufacture and assembly to effecteflicient sheet sampling heretofore associated only with high costmachines. The inclined tape section 16 has opposed upper and lower tapes18 and 20 positioned below the first or main sheet path and slopingdownwardly therefrom to define in part a second path for conveyingdeflected sheets away from the main sheet path upon actuation of aV-Shaped deflector 22 disposed between high speed tapes 11 and 12. Whenit is desired to deflect a sheet for sampling purposes, the deflector 22is actuated by any suitable means to rotate upwardly between the tapes10 from a nonactuated position in the plane of the main sheet path toact upon the leading edge of a sheet to be deflected and to direct itonto the inclined tape section 16.

Lower tapes 20 are supported by a pair of rolls 24 and 26, the latterbeing the drive roll. Upper tapes 18 are supported by suitable rolls 28and 30 and are driven by roll 32, with roll 30 providing a nip betweenthe opposed tapes 18 and 20 for receiving the leading edge of eachdeflected sheet and to effect a positive driving action as it is beingfed along the inclined tape section 16.

In operation, the drive rolls 26 and 32 are driven at substantially thesame speed as that of the high speed tapes 10 and 11 to ensure that adeflected sheet will be immediately removed from the main sheet pathWithout interfering with the leading edge of a following sheet.

In view of the high operating speed of the main feed tapes 10, 11,typically between 1000 and 1 500 feet per minute, continuous positivecontrol must be effected on each deflected sheet, and its is imperativethat each deflected sheet be slowed down before delivery to a stackingdevice, such as that partly shown at 34 adjacent the lower end of theinclined tape section 16, to ensure that the deflected sheets will bedelivered in damage-free condition for inspectional sampling and similarpurposes.

To provide proper handling of a deflected sheet, both drive rolls 26 and32 are positively driven at the same speed by a common variable speeddrive the operation of which is governed by suitable controls inaccordance with conventional techniques. The controls and the drive,schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, respond to a signal from one ormore photoelectric devices 36 each of which consist of a light source 38and a photocell 40 positioned upstream of the nip roll 30 in theinclined tape section 16, preferably about one sheet length from itsintersection with the main sheet path. As the leading edge of adeflected sheet travels through the photoelectric devices 36, a signalfrom the photoelectric devices to the controls is broken as the trailingedge of the deflected sheet leaves the main sheet path such that thepresence of a deflected sheet on the inclined tape section 16 isimmediately sensed by the controls which simultaneously operate thevariable speed drive to clow down the drive rolls 26 and 32 and therebyretard the deflected sheet being conveyed by tapes 18 and 20. In orderthat the passage of a deflected sheet be constantly controlled, thevariable speed drive for rolls 26 and 32 effects a substantial reductionin the speed of the deflected sheets and preferably is capable ofcompletely stopping the inclined tape section 16 and thereafterrestarting the tapes 18 and 20, if desired, at an extremely low speed toensure that each deflected sheet is delivered to the stacking device 34in a damage-free condition.

The above described sampling apparatus is readily incorporated in eithernew or existing sheet handling equipment requiring an efliicientsampling system while at the same time permitting significantly low costmanufacture and installation. Moreover, the above described apparatus isa durable, compact unit and is capable of reliably delivering adeflected sheet to a stacking device without in any way damaging thesheet or jamming the machine.

Referring now to FIG. 2 wherein another embodiment of a sampling systemis shown, the same reference numerals followed by the letter a have beenutilized to identify like parts. Both tapes 18a, 20a of an inclined tapesection 16a are operated at a constant speed in unison with that of highspeed tapes 11a by a suitable driving arrangement whereby deflectedsheets are immediately pulled away from the high speed tape section aand fed along the inclined tape section 16a toward a stacking device34a. The lower runs of the upper tapes 18a are shown extending beyondthe lower tapes 20a, and as each deflected sheet passes therefrom, itsleading edge is fed into the stacking device 34a while the trailing edgeof each deflected sheet tends to cling to the lower run of the uppertapes 18a.

To properly control a sequence of deflected sheets and to maintain thesame free of any interference despite their high speed of travel, astationary suction plate 42 is provided in the second embodiment nearthe lower end of tape section 16a in a plane just below but parallel tothe inclined upper rim of lower tapes 18a, The suction plate 42 ispositioned immediately below the upper tapes 18a for retarding anddisplacing the trailing edge of each deflected sheet relative to theleading edge of the following sheet by the action of a rotating suctiondrum 44 to effect overlapping of the deflected sheets.

The vacuum applied at the suction plate 42 is controlled by aphotoelectric gap sensing device 36a positioned in the inclined tapesection 16a a predetermined distance upstream of the suction plate 42and, as described in the aforementioned Patent No. 3,218,897, therotating suction drum 44 is synchronized with the passage of eachdeflected sheet whereby any air cushion below its trailing edge isremoved as it passes over the suction plate 42 to permit each deflectedsheet to fall under its own weight at a faster rate so that it will beretarded and overlapped by the leading edge of the following sheet. Ifthere is no following sheet, a three-way solenoid operated valve 46 isenergized in response to a signal from the photoelectric device 36a tocreate additional vacuum at the suction plate 42 of an amountsufl'lcient to stop and hold the sheet until a signal emanating from thephotoelectric device 36a is interrupted by the next following deflectedsheet to ensure a properly overlapped sequence of sheets. Interruptionof the signal from the photoelectric device 36a causes the valve 46 tobe de-energized and returned to a normally open condition whereby forcedair is applied to the suction plate 42 to facilitate release of thepreviously held sheet to slide away from the suction plate 42 and ontothe stacking device 34a, e.g., by the force of gravity.

The construction and assembly of a sheet handling system according tothis invention is considerably simplified and results in significantreduction of cost to the manufacturer and the user while at the sametime providing reliable sheet handling in a high speed productionoperation. In addition to requiring but a minimum number of parts, asampling apparatus of this invention is particularly suited to bereadily incorporated in either new or existing sheet handling equipmentfor operation over an extended service life with minimal maintenancerequirements.

I claim:

1. A sheet handling and sampling apparatus comprising high speedconveying means for feeding a plurality of sheets along a first path, adeflector associated with said first path for deflecting sheetstherefrom, additional conveying means for feeding deflected sheets alonga second path away from said first path at a speed substantially thesame as that of sheets being fed along said first path, said second pathsloping downwardly in inclined relation to said first path, saidadditional conveying means having sensing means positioned in saidinclined second path for sensing a deflected sheet as it is being fed bysaid additional conveying means along said inclined second path, andsaid additional conveying means further including control meansresponsive to said sensing means for reducing the speed of saidadditional conveyor means and positively controlling the advance of thedeflected sheets along said inclined second path to permit thecollection of deflected sheets in damage-free condition for inspectionalsampling.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said additional conveying meanscomprises a pair of opposed variable speed tapes for conveying deflectedsheets away from said first path.

3. A sheet handling and sampling apparatus comprising high speedconveying means for feeding a plurality of sheets along a first path, adeflector associated with said first path for deflecting sheetstherefrom, a pair of opposed variable speed tapes for conveyingdeflected sheets along a second path away from said first path, saidtapes being operable at a speed substantially the same as that of sheetsbeing fed along said first path, and means for reducing the speed ofsaid tapes responsive to the passage of a deflected sheet along thesecond path to positively control the advance of deflected sheets topermit their being collected in damage-free condition for inspectionalsampling.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the speed of said tapes is variablebetween a maximum operating speed and complete stoppage, said maximumoperating speed being substantially the same as that of sheets being fedalong said first path.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for reducing the speed ofsaid tapes includes signal means at a predetermined location in saidsecond path responsive to the presence of a deflected sheet.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said means for reducing the speed ofsaid tapes includes a photoelectric device positioned at a predeterminedlocation in said second path for controlling the speed of said tapes,said photoelectric device being responsive to the presence of adeflected sheet for reducing the speed of said tapes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said second path intersects saidfirst path and lies in downwardly inclined relation thereto, and whereinsaid photoelectric device is positioned in said second pathapproximately one sheet length from its intersection with said firstpath.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said tapes are positioned below saidfirst path and slope downwardly therefrom in inclined relation thereto,and wherein a stacking device is positioned at a lowermost end of saidtapes for receiving and collecting deflected sheets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,427,223 9/ 1947 Moore.3,218,897 11/1965 Geigenmiller et al. 271-64 X 3,232,605 2/1966Plummer'i; 27146 3,315,956 4/1967 Lyman 271-46 RICHARD E. AEGERTER,Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 271-68

